Machine for facing propeller blades



i F. E. NEITZEL. MACHINE FOR FAlNG PRoPr-:LL'ER BLADESl APPLICATION" FILED- OCT. 15' 1919. 1,426,09 l Patented Aug. 15, 1922,

'- 5 SHEETS-SHEET r.r

F. E. NEITZVEL. MACHINE FOR FACING PROPELLER BLADES.

APPLICATION 4FILED 061116 1919. l

1,426,091. l Patented Auggls, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

,IIL

F'. E. NEIIZEL.

MACHINE FOR FACING PROPELLER BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 16,1919.

l ,426,09 1 Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

INH

APPLICATION FILED OCT- IG. 1919.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ATTORNEYS.

site

linens EGON NEITZEL, or san nnenorseo, cemronme, ,AssIGNoR To Bnrnnniinrt snirsninnnve Conroaamron, Lrrn., or sourit BETHLEHEM, rENNsYLvAnA, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR FAGING PROPELHER BLADES.

Speexieationiof Letters Patent. Pgiggntd rAug. 15, 1922.

Application tiled October 16, 51919. Serial No. '$30,978.

T0 all w 7mm t may yconcern Be it known that I, FRANK EGON Nnirznn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the cityfand county oit San Francisca-State oiCalitor-nia, have `invented a new and Vuserality oaf-blades at the same time.

it further comprehends a novel .construction and arrangementof `clearance mechanism.

lt further comprehends a novel construction and arrangement ot a support, :novel for securing a propelleron the table,

novel means to effect the oscillation o'i-the table, a :novel construction land' arrangement ot tool carrying head and Vnovel meehanism for actuating the'tool carrying fhead.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter more clearly appear 'in the `detailed description and lthe appended claims. l f

1F or the 'purpose oi illustrating `my invention, l have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment which is present preferred :by me, since said embodiment Will give in practice satisfactory and 'reliable results, although 'it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities ot which my invention consists can 'be variously larranged and organized and that my intention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and de- Figure 3 tional View, partly fin elevation, 1of certain `parts seen in Figure 3.

Figure 5 represents a perspective View ot a spacing collar employed.

Figure 6 represents a section on line 6-6 oi Figure l.

Figure `7 .represents a ftragmentarysection, partly ein elevation,'showinglcentain details of construction.

. FigureS represents asection on line '8,-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 representsl a vertical section, vpartly in elevation, oit the supporting bearing for .the tool head.

Figure l0 represents `a section on line il0-10 vOt 'Figure '9.

Figure ll represents .a section 1of vone of the horizontally disposed members of the (tool head torcarrying the-tool postand cut- :ting tools.

Figure 12 represents Ea section on line -l2'-l2 of Figure 1'1. f i

'S'milar numerals [of lreference lindica-te .corresponding parts in @the gures.

lfteferrin'grto thevdrawings.

I have preferred to villustrate my ynovel `provided with .aniextension hub 4 Which ti'ts Athe .inside of the pivot :bearing 5 lfor the revolving table of the 'boring mill. The Worm gear l .is counterbored on its upperA side, as at y6, to receive thelower end ot' a tapered bushing 7, Which is inserted in the hub 8 offthe propeller@ rto be itaced, whereby said :propeller is Vacmifrately centered, it being understood that the Work, such asy the ,propeller, is fastened to the Worm Wheel l :by

rsuitable olampsand braces (not shown) as l ywill beapparent .toithose skilled in this art. The Worm Wheel l isdriven by the Worm 10 carriedon fa shaft '111 and :is mounted in suitable brackets l2 secured-to the bed plate Soft fthe boring mill.

13 Adesignates a spur gear mounted on the shaft 1l and -meshing'vvith a gear le mountedion a shaft'l.' "16 Adesignates a spur gear mountedon ithe shaft'l landfin mesh 'with a pinion 17 vmounted .on the shaft '18 which latter is the-regular :table drive for-the boring mill. y19 designates a shaft on which the gear 20'isrnounted, said 'gearzQO being in mesh with :the gear 14 andi-also in meshwlith Y,

a gear 2l, it being understood that said gears 13,14, 2O and 2l are constructed suitable for the pitch ot the propeller and are installed between the worm gear l0 and the regular table drive for the boring mill.

The boring head is driven from the gear 2l which is mounted on the same shaft as a miter gear 22 which in turn is adapted to mesh with either the upper gear 28 or the lower companion gear 24, both of said gears being mounted on a vertical shaft 25 journalled on the machine frame. The two miter gears 23 and 24 slide on a feather on the vertical shaft 25 mounted in bearings carried by the frame.

A U-shaped collar 26 is placed between one or the other of said gears and its respective bearing 7 to suit the propeller which is being machined. The vertical shait 25, driven by one or the other of these miter gears 23 and 24, is threaded, as indicated at 27, to receive a sleeve 28 which is moved longitudinally up or down by the sha'ift 25 during its rotation. rThe sleeve has a forked arm 29 which lits over a vertical guide 8O at the side of the boring mill in order to prevent rotation of the sleeve 28. The sleeve 28 carries a pivot slide bearing 8l through which passes the reversing rod 82 which controls the reversal of the machine by means of a bell crank 33 on a rocker shat't 34 and the bell crank 38 has a handle 85.

36 designates a connecting rod extending trom the arm 87 of the bell crank to the reversing mechanism that belongs to the boring mill drive, it being apparent that the length of stroke of the reversing rod is controlled by the upper and lower set collars 38 and 39 on the reversing rod 32. The lower end of the vertical shaft 25 is mounted in a step bearing 40 on the trame 3 of the machine and the upper bearing 41. is fastened to the face of the cross rail 42, see Figure 2, it being apparent that the rotation of the vertical shaft 25 is transmitted to a horizontal shaft 48 mounted on the cross rail through the medium of theA miter gear 44 carried by the shaft 25 andthe miter gear 45 carried by the horizontal shaft 43 which latter transmits the motion through the worm 46X to the worm wheel 46 see more particularly Figure l0,

47 designates the cutting or tool carrying head. To install the cutting head 47 it is necessary to move one of the tool heads, as 48, to the center of the cross rail 42 and remove the tool postk and guides down to the face plate. 'A vertical bearing 50 is placed on the tace plate in substitution for the tool head or the boring` mill and this bearing is provided with a sleeve bushing 5l which is free to revolve in the said bearing 50. This `bushing is flanged at its upper end, as at 52, so that the hub 58 can be rigidly connected in any desired manner to the Worin wheel 46. The worm wheel has fixed to it a feed nut 54 which carries the ieed screw 55 for raising and lowering the cutter head 47, it being apparent that said worm wheel 46 is driven by the worm 46X mounted on the horizontal shaft 48 which is mounted in bearings 56 carried by the cross rail 42, see

Figures l, and lO. The feed screw 55 is tapered at its lower end 57 to' tit into the tapered bore of the cutter head 47 and is held in place by a steel nut 58 in threaded engagement with the lower extremity of said feed screw. The feed screw is threaded for a portion ot its length, as indicated at 59, sufiicient for the operation of the mill. The feed screw 55 is hollow throughout its length and through it extends a rod GO provided at its upper end with a shackle 6l to which is connected a counterbalanace 6l* in order to relieve the screw 59 from excessive pressure on the return stroke. The rod 60 which extends through the hollow feed screw 55 is fastened at its lower end to a guide shaft 52 which is tapered at its upper end as at 68 to t the internal corresponding taper in the lower end 57 ot the stem 55. rlhe guide shaft 62 fits in the bore of the tapered bushing 7 of the propeller hub 8 to hold the tool head in axial alignment with the propeller.

rlfhe cutting head 47 is preferably in the orm of a spider and has tool posts 64 having a number of arms solid or adjustable to the propeller 9 that is to be machined. Each arm is provided with guides 65 on which `is slidable a tool carrying head. 98 provided with a nut 94 through which the feed screw 66 passes in order to effect the proper adjustment of a tool post 64.

One ot the arms of the cutter head, 67, is provided with a support 68 which carries a bracket 69 which is guided by the tool post 70 of the head of thc bor-ing mill, since such bracket is forked or bil-turcated at its extremity, as at- 71, in order to engage the guide flange 72 or the tool post 70 and prevent rotation ot the cutter head 47 and to serve as a guide for the cutter head during its vertical movement. ln the torked end 7l is placed a casting` 73 forming a part oit the bracket'GQ and held in place in relation to the forked member 71 of the bracket 69 by a shaft 74 threaded through the castin.. there being a short travel ot this casting o said threaded shaft 74 between the arms ci the Yfork sutlicient to permit a small move-r ment oit' the head 47 and thereby to provide a clearance tor the tools on their return stroke, the iork 7l being machined so as to accurately lit over the guide flange 72 of the tool post 70. The threaded shaft 74 carries,

a miter gear 75 which is in mesh, with a miter gear 7 6 on a vertical shaft 77 which has a :teathenway 78 which extends the entire length ot the shaft.

The shaft 77 is lkeyed to a bevel gear 79 mounted in the tool carrying head 80 so that longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 77 is permitted. The gear 79 meshes with a bevelgear'81 securedto a shaft 82 carried by the head 80 and provided with a worm wheel 83 which is driven by the worm 84 on the shaft 85. y

86 designates an arm secured at one of its endsy to the end of the feed shaft and at its other end to a conecting rod 87'eccentrically connected kto a friction disk 88 which is loosely mounted on the drive shaft 89 of the machine feed and bears against a friction disk 90 fixed to such shaft, said friction disk moving back and forth as the mill revolves, and the distance oftravel for the clearance being controlled by stops .91 suitably placed on the friction disk 88 and contacting with the bracket 92.

The tool head on the boring mill which is used as a stopl for the cutter head 47 is use'dto ,transmit power lto the clearance mechanism, taking it through the shaft 82 which is used for the hand operation of the tool post when the boringvmill is used in its normal position, then through the feed operating shaft 85 at the right hand side of the cross rail 42. j

The tool posts 64 have passing through them the ,bolts which are adjustable in a slot 96 in the tool carrying head 93. An adjusting screw 97 is provided in threaded engagement with the bolt 95 and rotatably carried by a portion of a tool carrying head 93in order to enable the vertical adjustment ofthe tool post 64. The adjusting screw 97 is fixed in its adjusted position means of the nuts98 4one of which serves as a lock nut, it being seen that the adjusting screw 97 is provided with a shoulder which limits movement in one direction.

It will be seen that the reversing rod 36 controls the belts of the reversing mechaynism 99 which is of any desired or conventional type and driven from the motor 100. The reversing mechanism is on a stud shaft 101 which isprovided with a pulley 102 around which passes a belt 103 which also `passes around a pulley 104 secured to the shaft 18.

105 designates the working tool carried by the tool post 64 in any desired manner.

The operation of the machine will now be readily apparent to those skilled 'in this art and is as follows The propeller which is to be faced is secured lto the worm wheel 1 in the manner hereinbefore described and the working` tools 105 are secured intheir proper adjusted. position.

-The operator now starts the machine by means of the handle 3,5 which through `the vconnecting rod 36 shifts .the belts .to cause y'the motor V100 to drive the shaft 18 which is connected by means yof suitable gearing as described with lthe gear 1 on which the propeller is mounted. The Vshaft 25 is now rotating, thereby causing the vertical movement of the sleeve 28 which travels in the path ofthe adjustable stops 38 and 39. The contact of the v4slide ubearing 81 withv one of these stop rocks the bell-cranklever 33, caus-. ing the propeller to be moved in a reverse direction.

It will be noted from the foregoing that an oscillatory movement is imparted tothe propeller and during this oscillatory movement of the propeller the tool :carrying head 47 is raised and lowered, since the shaft 25 is intergeared with the shaft 48, which latter rotates the worm wheel46, 'thereby rotating the feed nut 54 and causing-the'vertical movement of they feed screw 59. which is operatively connected with thetool carrying head`47 to raise and lower it during the oscillatory movement of thel gear -1 on which the propeller is mounted. By 'proper timing of 'the gears the cutter hea d '47 rises and falls to `suit the pitch of the propeller.

I provide means togeffect a clearance-be-` tween the propeller and the cutting tools The shaft 89 which is vintergeared withthe shaft v18 causes the friction disc 90 -to Yrevolve thereby causing the revolution of the friction disc 88 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 89. The friction disc 88 visjconnected to the connecting rod 87 which latter actuates the shaft 85 thereby rotating the shaft82 and the shaft '77. This rotation of vthe shaft 77 rotates the shaft 74, see l* `igiiie 6, thereby imparting a lateral movement to.

the tool carryinghead 47 so that the cutting tools at each end of their stroke will clear the propeller.

lt will be apparentthat vthe rotation ,of

the friction disc 88 will be arrested whenone of the stops 91`contacts with the stationary bracket 92. y

By means of. change gears the machine can be adapted to various pitches of differvilo is fixed in such position on the shaft 25'that it will `mesh with thc gear 22.

lt will be apparent that in accorda-nce with my present invention, I Iam enabledto A finish at the same time a plurality ofblades of a propeller and by `a single adjustment ofthe machine, it can bev readily andquickly changed to conform to a propeller' of a different pitch or to a right or left i'hand propeller. The length of stroke of the oscillatory gear l which forms a support for the propeller can be varied by adjustment of the set collars 38 and on the reversing' rod 32.

lllhile l have described ny inventionL as being formed by making material changes in vertical boring` mill in order to adapt it for the worlr intended, it is of course to be understood that the machine in practice would be constructed as a concrete unitary structure, the embodiment shown being,r only for the purpose of illustrating,` one manner of carrying` out my invention in practice.

lt will now be apparent that l have devised a novel and useful coi'istruction of a machine for facing` propeller blades which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while ll have, in the present instance, shown and described a 'preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that such embodiment is susceptible of modilication in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing` any of its advantages.

:Having` thus described my invention, what lclaimfas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a machine for facing' propeller blades, an oscillatory support for the propeller, and means aligned by the propeller to fac@ a blade of the propeller during' the oscillation of said support.

2. In a machine for facing; propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to oscillate said support, a cutter head in axial alignment with a propeller on said support, cutting tools adjustably mounted at opposite sides of said cutter head, and means to raise and lower said tools to suit the pitch of the propeller blade during the oscillation of said support.

3. ln a `machine for facing` propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to oscillate said support, cutting tools, means to raise and lower said tools to suit the pitch of the propeller blade during the oscillation of said support, and means to effect a clearance between the cutting tools and the blades of the propeller being` faced.

4. ln va machine for facing propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to rotate said support, means to adjust said rotating means for thefacing of right or left hand propeller blades, cutting means, devices controlling relative movement between the propeller on said support and the cutting means, and reversing mechanism for said rotating means controlled by said devices.

5. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to rotate said support, means to adjust saidroating means for the facing of right or left propeller blades, cutting means, dees controlling relative movement between the propeller' on said support and the cutting means, and reversing,` mechanism for said rotating means automatically controlled by said devices.

6. ln machine for facing propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to rotate said support, cutting means, devices controlling relative movement between the aropeller on said support and thel cutting means, reversing mechanism for said rotating means automatically controlled by said devices, and clearance mechanism to cause the cutting` means to clear the propeller at the end of each cut. y

.7. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillating support for the propeller, actuating means for it, a cutter head, means to prevent said head from rotating, an automatically actuated feed screw to raise and lower said head in conformity to the pitch of the propeller being faced, and a counter-balance for said feed screw.

8. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, a propeller support mounted to revolve in a horizontal plane, means to oscillate said support, a cutting head maintained in axial alignment by the propeller being faced, cutters adjustably carried thereby, a feed screw to raise and lower said head, and means to actuate said feed screw.

9. En a machine for facing` propeller blades, a support for the propeller mounted to revolve in a horizontal plane, a cutting head in axial alignment with said support, means to os .llatesaid support, cutters carried by said head, means to feed said cutters, and means to raise and lower said cutting head, in accordance with the pitch of the propeller. n

l0. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support for the propeller, actuating; means for such support, a gear train to suit the pitch of the propeller being faced and driven from said actuating mea-ns, means to adjust said gear train for right or left-hand propeller blades, and propeller facing mechanism controlled by said gear train.

l1. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support for the propeller, actuating means for said support, aA cutter head having a member housed within the hub of said propeller to maintain the cutting yhead in proper alignment, cutting tools carried by said cutting' head and means to raise and lower said cutting head in conformity to the pitch of the propeller being faced.

12. ln a machine for facing propeller blades, a support for the propeller, means to rotate the support in one direction, means to adjust said rotating means for right or lefthand propeller blades, a train of gears to actuate the support in a reverse direction, reversing' mechanism controlled by said train of gears, and means operatively connected to said train of gears to face the propeller.

13. In a machine for facing propeller blades, a gear rotatably mounted and adapted to receive a propeller, a cutter head in axial alignment with said propeller, a feed screw connected with said head, cutting tools on said head, means to actuate said feed screw in accordance with the pitch of the propeller to be faced, and means to oscillate said gear and thereby the propeller.

14, In a machine for facing propeller blades, a driving shaft, a gear operatively connected with it and adapted to support a propeller, friction discs on, said shaft, propeller facing means, means to relatively move said facing means andA propeller to face the propeller, and clearance mechanism controlled by one of said friction discs to cause the cutting means to clear the propeller at each end of the cutting stroke.

15. In a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support to receive the propeller, actuating means for said-support,

cutting mechanism in axial alignment with the propeller on said support, time gearing operatively connected with said cuttingv mechanism to actuate it, and reversing mechanism for said support actuating means and automatically controlled in accordance with the movement of said cutting mechanism.

16. In a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support to receive the propeller, means to oscillate said support, a cutter head in axial alignment with the propeller and guided by it, cutting tools carried by said cutter head, means to feed said cutting tools, and means to raise and lower said cutter head during the oscillation of said support.

17. In a machine for facing propeller blades, a support to receive the propeller, a

shaft guided in said propeller, a cutter head into which said shaft extends, a counterbalance connected with said shaft, cutting tools adjustable on said cutter head,a feed screw connected with said cutter head,'means to actuate said feed screw in accordance with the pitch of the propeller to be'faced, said means being adapted to control the direction of rotation of said'support, and means to rotate said support. i

18. In a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support for the propeller, driving means for said support, a cutter head, cutting tools carried by it, means to raise and lower the cutter head during n the movement of said support, means to prevent rotation of said cutter head during the cutting stroke, and means to impart a partial revolution to the cutter head at the end of each stroke.

19. In a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support to receive thev propeller, actuating means for said support, a cutter head, cuttingl tools carried by said head, means to raise and lower said head in accordance with the pitch of the propeller to be faced, and devices connected with said cutter head and controlled by said support actuating means to impart a partial rotation to said cutter head at the end of an oscillatory stroke of said support.

20. In a machine for facing propeller blades, an oscillatory support to receive the propeller, a cutter head mounted forvertical movement, cutting mechanism carried by said head, means to raise and lower said cutter head, a guide for said'cutter head to prevent itsrevolving, a shaft in threaded engagement with said cutter head, andmeans to -actuate said shaft to partially rotate said cutter head at the end of each oscillation of said support.

FRANK EGON NEITZEL.

Vitnesses: y l A. I). BELL, p .yl E. SoWERs. 

